A man who said he was Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper and demanded $3 million ransom for her return pleaded guilty to the crime Monday in federal court in Columbia, S.C.
Walter Kenneth Holloway, 19, of Charleston, S.C. pleaded guilty to two charges: transmitting communication between states that contained demands and requests for ransom and reward of a kidnapped person; and transmitting communication between states that contained a threat to injure a person, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney in the District of South Carolina.
Paul Warner, U.S. attorney in the District of Utah, said the case is important because it sends a message to people tempted to perpetrate such a crime in the future.
Also, "Mr. Holloway's actions came at a time when the Smart family was especially vulnerable. It was a cruel hoax," Warner said in the statement.
The case was indicted in federal court in Utah and transferred to South Carolina.
Elizabeth Smart disappeared June 5, 2002. Between Oct. 12 and Nov. 14, 2002, a Salt Lake police detective received 38 e-mail messages from a person who claimed to have the teen. On Oct. 14, the man demanded her father give him $3 million for her return. Later that day he wrote, "I don't want to hurt Elizabeth, so give me what I want so I don't have to," the statement said.
An Internet search of Holloway's e-mail address led detectives to a house where, on Nov. 5, 2002, a computer was seized and evidence of the e-mails was found.
U.S. District Judge P. Michael Duffy of Charleston will impose a sentence after he reviews a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. The maximum penalty Holloway faces is $500,000 in fines and imprisonment of up to 25 years.
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com